Morocco Population: 32,649,130

In 788, about a century after the Arab conquest of North Africa, a series of Moroccan Muslim dynasties began to rule in Morocco. In the 16th century, the Sa'adi monarchy, particularly under Ahmad al-MANSUR (1578-1603), repelled foreign invaders and inaugurated a golden age. The Alaouite dynasty, to which the current Moroccan royal family belongs, dates from the 17th century. In 1860, Spain occupied northern Morocco and ushered in a half century of trade rivalry among European powers that saw Morocco's sovereignty steadily erode; in 1912, the French imposed a protectorate over the country. A protracted independence struggle with France ended successfully in 1956. The internationalized city of Tangier and most Spanish possessions were turned over to the new country that same year. Sultan MOHAMMED V, the current monarch's grandfather, organized the new state as a constitutional monarchy and in 1957 assumed the title of king. Although Morocco is not the UN-recognized Administering Power for the Western Sahara, it exercises de facto administrative control there. The UN assists with direct negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario Front, but the status of the territory remains unresolved. Gradual political reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature, which first met in 1997. Morocco enjoys a moderately free press, but the government has taken action against journalists who they perceive to be challenging the monarchy, Islam, or the status of Western Sahara. Influenced by protests elsewhere in the region, in February 2011 thousands of Moroccans began weekly rallies in multiple cities across the country to demand greater democracy and end to government corruption. Overall the response of Moroccan security forces was subdued compared to the violence elsewhere in the region. King MOHAMMED VI responded quickly with a reform program that included a new constitution and early elections. The constitution was passed by popular referendum in July 2011; some new powers were extended to parliament and the prime minister, but ultimate authority remains in the hands of the monarch. In early elections in November 2012, the Justice and Development Party - a moderate Islamist party, won the largest number of seats, becoming the first Islamist party to lead the Moroccan Government. In January 2012, Morocco assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2012-13 term.

note: Morocco claims the territory of Western Sahara, the political status of which is considered undetermined by the US Government; portions of the regions Guelmim-Es Smara and Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra as claimed by Morocco lie within Western Sahara; Morocco also claims Oued Eddahab-Lagouira, another region that falls entirely within Western Sahara

Independence:

2 March 1956 (from France)

National holiday:

Throne Day (accession of King MOHAMMED VI to the throne), 30 July (1999)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister as well as Minister Delegates to each ministry appoined by the Palace (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

elections: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch following legislative elections

Legislative branch:

bicameral Parliament consists of the Chamber of Counsilors (or upper house) (270 seats - to be reduced to a maximum of 120; members elected indirectly by local councils, professional organizations, and labor syndicates to serve six-year terms; one-third of the members are elected every three years) and Chamber of Representatives (or lower house) (395 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: Chamber of Counselors - last held on 3 October 2009 (next to be held in mid-2013); Chamber of Representatives - last held on 25 November 2011 (next to be held in 2016)

highest court(s): Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (consists of 5-judge panels organized into civil, family matters, commercial, administrative, social, and criminal sections) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the monarch upon the recommendation of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary

Action Party or PA [Mohammed EL IDRISSI] Al Ahd (The Covenant) Party [Najib EL OUAZZANI] Alliance des Libert'es (Alliance of Liberty) or ADL [Ali BELHAJ] An-Nahj Ad-Dimocrati or An-Nahj [Abdellah EL HARIF] Authenticity and Modernity Party or PAM [Mustapha BAKKOURY, secretary general] Choura et Istiqlal (Consultation and Independence) Party or PCI [Abdelwahed MAACH] Citizens' Forces or FC [Abderrahman LAHJOUJI] Citizenship and Development Initiative or ICD [Mohamed BENHAMOU] Constitutional Union Party or UC [Mohammed ABIED] Democratic and Social Movement or MDS [Mahmoud ARCHANE] Democratic Forces Front or FFD [Touhami EL KHIARI] Democratic Socialist Vanguard Party or PADS [Ahmed BENJELLOUN] Democratic Society Party or PSD [Zhor CHEKKAFI] Democratic Union or UD [Bouazza IKKEN] Environment and Development Party or PED [Ahmed EL ALAMI] Istiqlal (Independence) Party or PI [Hamid CHABAT] Party of Justice and Development or PJD [Abdelillah BENKIRANE] Labor Party or LP [Abdelkrim BENATIK] Moroccan Liberal Party or PML [Mohamed ZIANE] National Democratic Party or PND [Abdallah KADIRI] National Ittihadi Congress Party or CNI [Abdelmajid BOUZOUBAA] National Popular Movement or MNP [Mahjoubi AHERDANE] National Rally of Independents or RNI [Mustapha EL MANSOURI] National Union of Popular Forces or UNFP [Abdellah IBRAHIM] Popular Movement or MP [Mohamed LAENSER] Progress and Socialism Party or PPS [Ismail ALAOUI] Reform and Development Party or PRD [Abderrahmane EL KOUHEN] Renaissance and Virtue Party or PRV [Mohamed KHALIDI] Renewal and Equity Party or PRE [Chakir ACHABAR] Social Center Party or PSC [Lahcen MADIH] Socialist Democratic Party or PSD [Aissa OUARDIGHI] Socialist Union of Popular Forces or USFP [Driss LACHGAR] Unified Socialist Left Party or PGSU [Mohamed Ben Said AIT IDDER]

Morocco has capitalized on its proximity to Europe and relatively low labor costs to build a diverse, open, market-oriented economy. In the 1980s Morocco was a heavily indebted country before pursuing austerity measures and pro-market reforms, overseen by the IMF. Since taking the throne in 1999, King MOHAMMED VI has presided over a stable economy marked by steady growth, low inflation, and gradually falling unemployment, although a poor harvest and economic difficulties in Europe contributed to an economic slowdown in 2012. Industrial development strategies and infrastructure improvements - most visibly illustrated by a new port and free trade zone near Tangier - are improving Morocco's competitiveness. Morocco also seeks to expand its renewable energy capacity with a goal of making renewable 40% of electricity output by 2020. Key sectors of the economy include agriculture, tourism, phosphates, textiles, apparel, and subcomponents. To boost exports, Morocco entered into a bilateral Free Trade Agreement with the United States in 2006 and an Advanced Status agreement with the European Union in 2008. Despite Morocco's economic progress, the country suffers from high unemployment, poverty, and illiteracy, particularly in rural areas. In 2011 and 2012, high prices on fuel - which is subsidized and almost entirely imported - strained the government''s budget and widened the country''s current account deficit. Key economic challenges for Morocco include fighting corruption and reforming the education system, the judiciary, and the government''s costly subsidy program.

general assessment: good system composed of open-wire lines, cables, and microwave radio relay links; principal switching centers are Casablanca and Rabat; national network nearly 100% digital using fiber-optic links; improved rural service employs microwave radio relay; Internet available but expensive

2 TV broadcast networks with state-run Radio-Television Marocaine (RTM) operating one network and the state partially owning the other; foreign TV broadcasts are available via satellite dish; 3 radio broadcast networks with RTM operating one; the government-owned network includes 10 regional radio channels in addition to its national service (2007)

claims and administers Western Sahara whose sovereignty remains unresolved; Morocco protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera, the islands of Penon de Alhucemas and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters; both countries claim Isla Perejil (Leila Island); discussions have not progressed on a comprehensive maritime delimitation, setting limits on resource exploration and refugee interdiction, since Morocco's 2002 rejection of Spain's unilateral designation of a median line from the Canary Islands; Morocco serves as one of the primary launching areas of illegal migration into Spain from North Africa; Algeria's border with Morocco remains an irritant to bilateral relations, each nation accusing the other of harboring militants and arms smuggling; the National Liberation Front's assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Morocco is a dormant dispute

Illicit drugs:

one of the world's largest producers of illicit hashish; shipments of hashish mostly directed to Western Europe; transit point for cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe; significant consumer of cannabis